Foot-support for shoe-polishing machines.



I. E. CAMPBELL.

FOOT SUPPORT POR SHOE POLISHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED sLPT.12. 1912. RENLWLD JULY 9. 1913.

1,086,023. Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

coLuMmA PLANOGRAPH C0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

I. E. CAMPBELL.

FOOT SUPPORT PoR SHOE PoLIsHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1912. RENEWED JULY 9, 1913,.

Q yi.

CGLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0.. WASHINGTON. D. Cu

CLW

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

s-SHEBT z.Y

(Y) s) D vwawcofa el Hozwu a I. E. CAMPBELL.

FOOT SUPPORT FOR SHOE POLISHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1912. BENEWBD JULY 9, 1913. 1,086,023.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

S SHBBTS-SHBBT 3.

fvg-:27.

COLUMNA PLANoRAPH Co.. WASHINGTON.

*UNITED STABESMILAEENT OFFICE.

IRVING E. CAMPBELL, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNORTO INTERNATIONAL MACHINE CORPORATION, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF VIR- GIN IA.

FOOT-SUPPORT FOR SHOE-POLISI-IING- MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3,1914.

Application led September 12, 1912, Serial No. 720,005. Renewed July 9, 1913. Serial No. 778,176.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, IRvINe E. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Supports for Shoe-Polishing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in the novel Vfeatures hereinafter described reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention which'I have selected for purposes of illustration and said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the mechanism of a shoe polishing machine, having my invention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the machine showing the embodiment of my invention selected for purposes of illust-ration on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the slice support and one of the coperating devices for withdrawing the foot positioning devices. Fig. 4f is a side elevation of the shoe support and connected mechanism and showing one of the movable positioning devices withdrawn. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5 5, Fig. et.

In the practical operation of machines for automatically polishing shoes, much dilflculty has been experienced in properly supporting the feet of the person whose shoes are being operated upon owing to the great variation in the length of t-he feet of different persons and further owing to the great diversity of shapes of shoes worn by individuals of varying sizes'and ages. In these devices the persons wearing the shoes place their feet upon shoe or. foot supports and they are then operated upon by brushes, suitably constructed and arranged, which operate upon the sides of the shoe uppers and the top of the toe portion thereof. Vhere the feet are small and narrow, as in the cases of ladies and children, if the support is made narrow enough to permit the brushes to operate on all sides of the shoes, the brushes are apt to knock the feet from the shoe support and again it is difficult for persons having longer and broader feet to properly place them on supports which are also adapted for short and narrow feet, so as to secure the best results from the machine. It will be also obvious that the use of stationary positioning devices is practi cally out of the question since they would not answer effectively for different lengths and width of shoes, and moreover, if arranged laterallythey will greatly interfere with the action of the brushes, since they would have to be located between the shoe and the brushes, which could not polish the portions of the shoe beneath them.

In carrying out my invention I employ a shoe support so designed as to accommodate shoes of any length, width'or style and I provide the same with lateral positioning devices or stops for engaging the lateral portions of the shoe or the sole thereof, but which are movable so that they may be retract-ed or withdrawn at times to avoid interfering with the action of the brushes. I also prefer to so construct said positioning devices or stops that when in normal position they are locked, and will therefore not be depressed or moved out of operative position by the foot pressing upon the same when the party whose shoes are to be polished is placing his (or her) foot in position thereon, which otherwise would defeat the object for which the positioning devices are intended.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown my invention applied to a shoe polishing machine of the type in which a plurality of carriages are mounted on an endless track or guide extending around the shoe support, each carrying a vertically disposed rotary brush, said carriages being caused to travel successively around the shoe support, and the rotary brushes being capable of being raised and tilted toward the shoe support into practically a horizontal position while passing around the toe portion of the shoe support to engage the upper face of the toe portion of the shoe. Such a machine, fo-r example, is shown and described in Letters Patent o-f the United States No. 1,024,589 granted to Tilliam H. McConnell dated April 30, 1912, but my invention is not limited to use in such a machine as therein shown and described as it may be employed advantageously in other machines of the type therein shown and also in other types of shoe polishing machines.

loo

Referring to the accompanying drawing, 1 represents the bed plate of the machine frame which is provided with two horizontal track frames 4 and 5 carrying endless track rails 4a and 5EL respectively, upon which are mounted a plurality of brush carriages, three of which are shown in Fig. 1. `Between the track frames is arranged a horizontal sprocket chain 8 passing around a front sprocket wheel 9 on a vertical shaft 10, and a rear driving sprocket 11 on a vertical shaft 12, the said sprocket chain being provided for the purpose of moving the carriages successively around the shoe support 3, which is conveniently mounted upon the upper track frame 4.

Each of the carriages comprises a sleeve 21 provided with horizontally disposed upper and lower brackets or flanges 22, 23, carrying guiding projections or rollers 24 which engage the upper and lower track rails in any desired manner for guiding the carriage around the shoe support. l/Vithin the bearing sleeve 21 is a rotatable sleeve 30, the lower end of which carries a sprocket wheel 62, engaging the chain 13 for imparting rotary motion to the sleeve 30. A vertically movable shaft 33 extends through the sleeve 30 and is connected for rotation therewith, as by a key 34 and the upper end of said shaft carries a yoke or head block 36, loosely mounted thereon and a beveled pinion 33 rigidly secured to the shaft. To the head block is secured a tilting brush carrier 42 by means of a horizontal pivot 43, said brush carrier supportinga rotary brush B the lower end of the brush shaft being provided with a miter gear 48 connected by a miter gear 49 on the pivot pin 43, with the miter gear 38 on shaft 33. The brush is held normally in vertical position, in this instance, by means of an arm 53 secured to the brush carrier, and connected by a link 55 to the carriage, the lower end of the link being slotted to engage a pin on the carriage and a spring 53 being connected to the carriage and to the link 55 (or to the arm 53). By raising` the vertical shaft 33 in the carriage the brush carrier will be caused to tilt toward the shoe support and is brought into a substantially horizontal position as it passes over the toe portion thereof, and this is accomplished in the present instance by providing a suitable cam track 1f extending around the front portion of the machine and below the lower track support and having suitable grades on its upper face to be engaged by an anti-friction ball or device 'at the lower end of the shaft 33 of each carriage. Motion is imparted to the sprocket chains 8 and 13 in any desired manner from a suitable motor M. The head block and brush carrier of each carriage is prevented from turning with respect to this carriage in this instance by means of a guide bar 40 passing through guiding recesses or apertures in the flanges of the carriage and being secured at its upper end to the head block 36.

Suitable liquids may be supplied to certain of the brushes-or in any other way for cleaning and polishing the shoes to be treated. Any desired means can be employed for securing the successive operation of the carriages. In the drawings bumpers 60 are placed between the carriages, the same consisting of a frame similar to the sleeve 91 of the carriage and having means for engaging the track rails, but carrying no mechanism. Each carriage is propelled separately around the forward portion of the track rails (around the shoe support) by its engagement with chain 8, and as it reaches the end of its travel under the influence of the chain the bumper preceding it will strike the next carriage, pushing all the bumpers and carriages around the dead portion of the track rails and forcing the next carriage into position to be engaged and propelled by the chain 8. The previously described devices form no part of my invention in their specific construction.

The shoe support 3, which forms the subject of my invention, in the embodiment thereof herein shown, consists of a plate having portions for supporting the heel and sole of the shoe, the heel supporting portion 150 being substantially of the shape of ashoe heel and having at its forward edge a transverse rib 151 to engage the front edge of the heel. The sole engaging portion 152 is as long or longer than the ordinary large size shoe sole, and preferably has its forward portion beveled as indicated at 153 to support the brush, when a very small shoe is being polished, to prevent the brush from bearing down too heavily on a small shoe such as a childs or womans shoe. The heel portion 150 is also provided with a rearwardly extending portion or spur 154, to engage the heel in case the operator places his or her foot too far to the rear, and to prevent the operator from mistaking the rear edge of the heel portion for the heel engaging rib 151.

1 have ascertained by experiment that it is sufficient, in order to properly position a shoe on the shoe support, to provide, in addition to the usual heel engaging rib or device 151 or other equivalent device for preventing the foot from slipping forward, a single lateral positioning stop for the heel and a single lateral positioning stop for the sole, said devices being located on opposite sides of the shoe support, so that by placing the foot on the shoe support and giving it a slight and familiar twisting movement at the ankle, the heel and toe portions of any shoe, regardless of size or shape will be made to engage the positioning stops, and

thus any shoe can be held in the best available position for polishing the same, that is to say with respect to the travel of the brushes. Each of said stops is movable vertically and provided with means for withdrawing the same downwardly and for holding them locked against downward movement except at the time of withdrawal, but I do not limit myself to the particular devices for accomplishing these results, shown in the embodiment of my invention herein shown and described, as the same may be varied to a considerable extent.

156 represents the lateral heel positioning stop mounted in a guiding recess in the shoe support so as to be movable vertically therein and having its lower end provided with a horizontally disposed portion provided with a horizontal slot 157.

158 represents a vertically disposed trip lever pivoted to the base of the shoe support, (or to some other rigid part) and provided at its upper end with a lug (or friction roller) 159 engaging the slot 157 adjacent to one end or" the same. The lower end of the lever 15S is in the path of a tripping projection 160 operatively connected with and moving with each of the carriages, and in this instance I have shown the tripping projection located on each of the bumpers 60, so that as the bumper is pushed ahead of the carriage the trip arm will be operated slightly in advance of the carriage, thus withdrawing the positioning stop so as to permit the port-ion of the shoe beneath the same to be acted on by the brush of each carriage successively as it passes. I also prefer to provide means for insuring that the positioning stop shall be held out of operative position long enough to permit the brush to pass the same, and to this end, in the embodiment of my invention herein shown7 I provide a horizontally disposed holding bar 161 having one end pivoted to the lower end of the trip lever 158, and the other end provided with a slot 162 engaging a stud 163 on a bracket secured to some stationary part of the machine. The direction of the arrows in Figs. 2 and 4 indicate the direction in which the tripping projection 16() moves, and after striking trip arm 158 and moving the same to withdraw the positioning stop 156, said projection passes beneath the end of said trip lever and engages the holding rod 161, thus holding the stop 156 down for as long a time as may be necessary to enable the brush to pass the guide, when the parts are restored to normal position preferably by a spring. In this instance a spring 161 secured at one end to the upper part of the trip lever 158 and at the other end to the bracket carrying the stud 163, serves to restore the parts to normal position.

The sole portion of the shoe support is provided with the sole positioning sto-p 166, movable vertically and provided with a horizontal slot 167, engaged by a stud 169 on the upper end of a trip lever 168, having a similar holding bar 171, pivoted thereto and provided with a slot 17 2 engaging a stationary guiding stud 178. These part-s are similar in construction and operation to the parts described in reference to the heel positioning stop, and being located on the opposite side of the machine, so that the tripping projection engages the trip lever 168 on its rearward travel after passing around the front end of the shoe support. Each of the stops 156 and 166 has its upper end inclined or beveled outwardly, to facilitate the withdrawal and return of the same in the operation of the machine and to facilitate the placing of the operators foot in proper position originally. It will also be seen that when the machine is not in operation, andl at all times during the operation of the machine, except during the actual withdrawal and return of the positioning stops they are locked against downward movement. Hence if the operator places his foot on one or both of said stops in taking his position they do not yield, being held by the engagement of the studs 159 and 169 with the horizontal slots 157 and 167 respectively and the operyator is thus advised that his foot is not properly placed and will move it until it engages the heel and toe supporting portions adjacent to the positioning guides.

In a shoe polishing machine of the type shown and described in the McConnell patent before referred to, the machine is provided with two sets of brush carriages and brushes for simultaneously polishing both shoes and obviously in such a machine two of my improved shoe supports are employed. My invention is, however, adapted to other types-of machines and may be used with machines for polishing one or both shoes, or in any other connection in which it may be found advantageous'. j

IVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a shoe polishing apparatus, the combination with a shoe rest, of a vertically movable retractable positioning stop having a portion projecting above the shoe supporting surface.

2. In a shoe polishing apparatus, the combination with a shoe rest, of a vertically movable positioning stop having a portion projecting above the shoe supporting surface, a spring for normally maintaining said stop in elevated position and means for depressing said stop.

3. In a shoe polishing apparatus, the combination with a shoe rest, of a vertically movable retractable stop on each side of the foot rest, one of said stops being located adjacent to the heel portion and the other being located adjacent to the sole portion.

4. ln a. shoe polishing machine, the combination with a shoe rest, of a vertically movable positioning stop, having a portion projecting above the shoe supporting surface, and normally held rigidly in said position, and means for depressing said stop.

1n a shoe polishing machine, the combination With a shoe rest, of a vertically movable positioningV stop, having a portion projecting above the shoe supporting surface, and means for depressing said stop, having parts constructed to normally lock the stop in its elevated position.

G. rThe combination with a movable brush, of a shoe rest, a laterally disposed vertically movable positioning stop, having a part normally projecting above the foot supporting surface of the foot rest, and means adapted -when the brush is moved adjacent to the foot rest, to depress said stop out of the Way of the brush.

7. The combination with a movable brush, of a shoe rest, a vertically movable positioning stop on each side thereof, one of said stops being located adjacent to the heel portion and the other being located adjacent to the sole portion of the shoe rest, means for guiding the brush around the shoe rest, and means adapted when the brush is moved successively adjacent to each of said stops, to depress the said stop out of the Way of the brush.

8. The combination with a movable brush, of a shoe rest, a laterally disposed vertically movable positioning stop having a part normally proj ecl'ing above the foot supporting surface of the foot rest, and means for depressing said stop out of the Way of the brush, having a part movable With said brush.

9. The combination With a movable brush, of a shoe rest, a vertically movable position ing stop on each side thereof, one of said stops being located adjacent to the heel portion and the other being located adjacent to the sole portion of the shoe rest, means for guiding the brush around the shoe rest, and separate depressing means for each stop, for moving it out of the Way of the brush, having a part movable with said brush for bringing said depressing means into action successively, as the brush is moved adjacent to the stop connected therewith.

10. he combination with a movable brush, of a shoe rest, a laterally disposed vertically movable positioning stop having a part normally projecting above the foot supporting surface of the foot rest, and means for depressing the stop out of the Way of the brush, including a trip lever and a trip moving with said brush for engaging said trip lever, to bring said depressing means into action.

l1. The combination With a movable brush, of a shoe rest, a laterally disposed vertically movable positioning stop, having a part normally projecting above the foot supporting surface of the foot rest and means for depressing said stop When the brush moves adjacent thereto, and holding it in depressed position out of the Way of the brush until after the brush has passed said stop.

l2. rlhe combination With a movable brush, of a shoe rest, a laterally disposed vertically movable positioning stop having a part normally locked in elevated position with a part projecting above the shoe supporting surface of said rest, and means for releasing and depressing said stop, having a part movable with said brush.

13. The combination with a movable brush, of a shoe rest, a laterally disposed vertically movable positioning stop having a part normally projecting above the foot supporting surface of the foot rest, and means for depressing said stop out of the Way of the brush, having parts constructed to hold said stop normally locked in elevated position, and including a device operating in conjunction With the movement of said brush into proximity to said stop.

lt. rllhe combination With a movable brush, of a shoe rest, a laterally disposed vertically movable positioning stop, having a. part normally projecting above the foot supporting surface of the foot rest, and means for depressing said stop out of the Way of the brush having parts provided with a locking device for normally holding said stop in elevated position, and including a device movable With the brush.

l5. The combination with a movable brush, a shoe rest, a laterally disposed vertically movable j aositioning stop, having a part normally projecting above the foot supporting surface of the foot rest, means for depressing said stop out of the Way of the brush, including a tripping lever and a trip movable with said brush for operating said lever, of a holding device interposed between said trip, and said lever, for holding the stop in depressed position until the brush has passed the stop.

16. The combination With a movable brush, a shoe rest, a laterally disposed vertically movable positioning stop having a part normally projecting above the foot supporting surface of the foot rest, means for depressing said stop out of the Way of the brush, including a tripping lever and a trip movable With said brush for operating said lever, of a holding bar connected to said trip lever and located in position to engage said trip, for holding the stop in depressed position until the brush has passed said stop.

17. The combination With a movable brush, of a shoe rest, a laterally disposed vertically movable positioning stop, having a part normally projecting `above the foot supporting surface of the foot rest7 a vertically disposed pivoted trip lever for depressing said stop, said trip lever and said stop being provided, the one with a horizontally disposed slot, and the other with a part operatively engaging said slot, and normally locking said stop in elevated position, and a trip movable With said brush for actuating said lever.

18. The combination with a movable brush, of a shoe rest, a laterally disposed vertically movable positioning stop, having a part normally projecting above the foot supporting surface of the foot rest, a vertically disposed pivotedtrip lever for depressing said stop, said trip lever and said stop being provided, the one With a horizontally disposed slot, and the other With a part operatively engaging said slot, and normally locking said stop in elevated position, a trip movable With said brush for actuating said lever and a holding bar connected to said trip lever and located in position to engage said trip to hold said stop in depressed position until the brush has passed the stop.

j 19.. rllhe combination With a movable brush, of a shoe rest, a laterally disposed vertically movable positioning stop, having a part normally projecting above the foot supporting surface of the foot rest, a vertically disposed tripping lever operatively connected to said stop for depressing the same, a trip movable with said brush for engaging said lever and depressing the stop and a holding bar adapted to be engaged by said trip and having one end connected to the said lever, and the other end connected to a stationary part, one of said connections being constructed to permit the movement` of the lever, Without disengaging the same from the holding bar.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

RVING E. CAMPBELL. Witnesses:

J. B. HUTcHiNsoN, JNO. W. McCoMB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, IJ. C. 

